Apparatus for training troops in the pointing of guns



'0. PLACE. APPARATUS FOR-TRAINING TRODPS EN THE POINTJNG 0F GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 1919 '1 ,3-76,35'Z-.- "mm Apr. 26,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLNEY PLACE, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

APPARATUS FOR TRAINING TROOPS IN THE POINTING OF GUNS.

Application filed October 9, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLNEY PLACE, Lieut. Col,U. S. Infantry, a citizen of the United States, stationed at Austin, inthe county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Training Troops in the Pointing ofGuns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus to aid in trainingtroops in the pointing of rifles, machine guns, pistols, artillery orordnance.

The apparatus comprises a tube, preferably about the size of an ordinaryhand electric torch, which is provided with suitable attachments forattaching same either to a rifle, a pistol, machine gun or heavyordnance.

In the tube near its rear end is an electric lamp with filaments in samerepresenting a cross or other suitable design. This lamp is madeadjustable so it may be moved either vertically or laterally, or both.The lamp socket itself is preferably movable around its longitudinalaxis so as to place the cross filaments in a desired position. The frontend of the tube is provided with a telescopic tube carrying a suitablelens, and between the lamp and the lens I provide a shutter adapted tobe operated simultaneously with the pulling of the trigger, or operatingthe other firing device which normally controls the firing of the piece.

This shutter may be arranged so as to remain open only for a briefinstant, or the shutter operating mechanism may be so arranged that theshutter may remain open when moved from the closed position untilrestored to the closed position; thus it may be desirable in rifle,pistol or ordnance practice to open the shutter for a brief intervalonly, while for machine gun practice it may be desirable to keep theshutter open for several seconds.

The invention is intended to be used in connection with a suitable dummytarget, such, for instance, as the ordinary target used indoors, or incamp in training recruits, which is ordinarily located a few yards onlyaway from the piece.

My invention will be more fully understood after reference to theaccompanying Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Serial No. 329,554.

drawings, in which like parts are indicated by slmllar reference symbolsthroughout the several views, and in which F lgure 1 shows the device asapplied to an ordinary service rifle.

F 1g. 2 shows the muzzle of the piece in elevation, and the sightingattachment in section, the parts being shown on a larger scale than inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a section along the line 33 of Fig. 2, and looking down.

Fig. 4 shows a section through the barrel of the piece, and theattachment along the line 4l-4 of Fig. 2, and looking in the directionof the arrows.

Fig. 5 shows a section through the tube along the line 55 of Fig. 2, andlooking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the target with the light from the filamentsindicated thereon.

A represents the piece, which may be a rifle as shown, a pistol, machinegun, field artillery or heavy ordnance.

.13 represents a tube having a screw cap C close to one end thereof, inwhich screw cap an electric lamp D is revolubly mounted, connected inthe usual way to the leading-in wires E. The lamp is so arranged that itmay be moved laterally by the thumb screw F and vertically by the thumbscrew G, and its filament d, shown in the form of a cross as in Fig. 4,may be turned with its members vertical and horizontal by simply turningthe lamp about its axis.

Mounted in the forward end of the tube 3 is a telescopic tube H, havingthe lens I whereby the image of the filament may be focused on thetarget. Either the lens I or the lamp bulb D may be colored red, or anysuitable color, if desired, so that a colored image of the filament willbe thrown on the target as illustrated at cl in Fig. 6.

If the filament is made in the form of a cross as shown, or othersymmetrical shape, it will be immaterial that'the lens I will invert theimage of the filament on the target.

Located in front of the lanligo and between it and the lens I theshutter is preferably pivoted in the tube as at k. This shutter is movedwhen the operator goes through the motion of firing the piece. Variousmeans for accomplishing this result may be provided, one of which isshown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, in which the device is shown asapplied to a small arm.

The tube B may be fastened to the piece in any convenient way, as bymeans of the clip B fast to the tube, and having the resilient arms 6adapted to engage the barrel of the piece. The tube B also carries abracket M having its heel m forming a journal bearing for the pivot 76of the shutter K. Carried by this bracket M is the tubular head N havingits front end closed by the screw cap 0, and its rear end shoulderedinternally, as at n, to engage the collar p on the rod P.

The front end of this rod slides freely through the cap 0, and isprovided with a set collar 29 to prevent the accidental displacement ofthe rod. This rod P is pressed toward the muzzle of the piece by meansof the spring Q, bearing upon the loose washer R.

P represents a plunger rod which slides freely in the bore of the pieceand is of such length as to have its rear end bear against the frontface of the breech block and cover the hole therein for the firing pinpoint, while the front end of said rod projects beyond the muzzle of thepiece and engages the rear end of the short rod P.

S represents a wire or cord connected to the arm is carried by the backof the shutter. It will be seen that if the piece be cooked and thetrigger pulled, the firing pin, not shown, will strike the plunger rod Pand will throw the same forward against the action of the spring Q,causing the wire S to trip the shutter K.

As the firing pin returns to the initial position, the spring Q willrestore the plunger rod P to the initial position shown in Fig. 2, andthe shutter will drop to the vertical or closed position as shown insaid figure.

The shutter may be caused to close by gravity, or it may be positivelyoperated by a suitable spring if desired.

The operation of the device is as follows Electric current beingcontinuously turned on to the lamp during the training operations, theimage of the filament will be screened by the shutter, but when theoperation of firing the piece is gone through with, the shutter will beswung up so as to expose the filament to the lens I. This lens willthrow an inverted image of the filament, preferably colored asdescribed, onto the target T; the location of the image of the filamentbeing shown at d in Fig. 6, relative to the position of the bulls-eye tof the dummy target used.

The operator who endeavors to keep the line of sight directed on thebulls-eye and to keep the piece steady when the trigger is squeezed, cannote visually whether the center of the image is on the bulls-eye of thetarget, and can determine whether his piece would remain properlydirected incident to the act of firing; or if not so directed, he can bypractice secure the desired result.

lVhen firing at point blank range the position of the lamp would benormally in the axis of the tube which corresponds with the center ofthe lens I; but to compensate for changes in the elevation of the piece,errors due to drift, force and direction of the wind, etc., it will bedesirable to move the lamp both vertically and laterally, which may beaccomplished by moving the thumb screws E and F.

In setting the attachment, the piece of whatever kind used is firstsighted at the desired aiming point. If a pistol or small arm be used itmay be found in a vise if necessary and the light is then adjusted forposition with relation to the line of sight. It may be adjusted to showwhere the center of the top of the front sight rests on the target, orto represent the point where the bullet would strike if the same hadbeen used; or for purposes of adjusting sights the image of the filamentmay be caused to lie at any other desired position on the target.

While I have shown a shutter arrangement as positively actuated by a rodcontrolled by pulling the trigger, I do not mean to limit the inventionto this special arrangement, as it will be obvious that variousmodifications might be made in the herein described construction, and inthe combination and arrangement of parts which could be used withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and I do not mean to limitthe invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is 1. Apparatus for use in trainingin the pointing of guns, comprising a tube, and means for connecting thesame to the gun, an electric lamp mounted in said tube near one endthereof, a lens mounted near the opposite end of said tube, a shutternormally interposed between said lamp and said lens, and means forquickly moving said shutter incident to the normal action of operatingthe firing mechanism of the piece.

2. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof and provided with crossedfilaments, a lens mounted near the opposite end of said tube, a shutternormally interposed between said lamp and said lens, and means forquickly moving said shutter incident to the normal action of operatingthe firing mechanism of the piece.

3. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and

means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lamp mounted insaid tube near one end thereof, a telescopic tube carrying a lensmounted in the opposite end of said tube, a shutter normally interposedbetween said lamp and said lens, and means for quickly moving saidshutter incident to the normal action of operating the firing mechanismof the piece.

t. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof and provided with crossedfilaments, a telescopic tube carrying a lens mounted in the opposite endof said tube, a shutter normally interposed between said lamp and saidlens, and means for quickly moving said shutter incident to the normalaction of operating the firing mechanism of the piece.

5. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof, means for moving said lampvertically and laterally in said tube, a lens mounted near the oppositeend of said tube, a shutter normally interposed between said lamp andsaid lens, and means for quickly moving said shutter incident to thenormal action of operating the firing mechanism of the piece.

6. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof and provided with crossedfilaments, means for moving said lamp vertically and laterally in saidtube, a lens mounted near the opposite end of said tube, a shutternormally interposed between said lamp and said lens, and means forquickly moving said shutter incident to the normal action of operatingthe firing mechanism of the piece.

7. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof, means for moving said-lamprvertically and laterally in said tube, a

telescopic tube carrying a lens'mountedin"- the opposite end of saidtube, a shutter normally interposed between said lamp and said lens, andmeans for quickly moving said shutter incident to the normal action ofoperating the firing mechanism of the piece.

8. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof and provided with crossedfilaments, means for moving said lamp vertically and laterally in saidtube, a telescopic tube carrying a lens mounted in the opposite end ofsaid tube, a shutter normally interposed between said lamp and saidlens, and means for quickly moving said shutter incident to the normalaction of operating the firing mechanism of the piece.

9. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof, a telescopic tube carrying alens mounted in the opposite end of said tube, a shutter normallyinterposed between said lamp and said lens, a plunger rod extendingthrough the bore of the piece and having its rear end adapted to bestruck by the firing pin, and means controlled by the movement of saidplunger rod for quickly moving said shutter incident to the normalaction of operating the firing mechanism of the piece.

10. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof and provided with crossedfilaments, a telescopic tube carrying a lens mounted in the opposite endof said tube, a shutter normally interposed between said lamp and saidlens, a plunger rod extending through the bore of the piece and havingits rear end adapted to be struck by the firing pin, and meanscontrolled by the movement of said plunger rod for quickly moving saidshutter incident to the normal action of operating the firing mechanismof the piece.

11. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof, means for moving said lampvertically and laterally in said tube, a lens mounted near the oppositeend of said tube, a shutter normally interposed between said lamp andsaid lens, a plunger rod extending through the bore of the piece andhaving its rear end adapted to be struck by the firing pin, and meanscontrolled by the movement of said plunger rod for quickly moving saidshutter incident to the normalaction ofgpgrating the firing mechanism ofthe piece. i v l 12. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing ofguns, comprising a tube, and means for connecting the same to the gun,an electric lamp mounted in said tube near one end thereof and providedwith crossed filaments, means for moving said lamp vertically andlaterally in said tube, a lens mounted near the opposite end of saidtube, a shutter normally interposed between said lamp and said lens, aplunger rod extending through the bore of the piece and having its rearend adapted to be struck by the firing pin, and means controlled by themovement of said plunger rod for quickly moving said shutter incident tothe normal action of operating the firing mechanism of the piece.

13. Apparatus for use in training in the pointing of guns, comprising atube, and means for connecting the same to the gun, an electric lampmounted in said tube near one end thereof, means for moving said lampvertically and laterally in said tube, a telescopic tube carrying a lensmounted in the opposite end of said tube, a shutter normally interposedbetween said lamp and said lens, a plunger rod extending through thebore of the piece and having its rear end adapted to be struck by thefiring pin, and means controlled by the movement of said plunger rod forquickly moving said shutter incident to the normal action of operatingthe firing mechanism of the piece. 14:. Apparatus for use in training inthe pointing of guns, comprising a tube, and means for connecting thesame to the gun, an electric lamp mounted in said tube near one endthereof, and provided With crossed filaments, means for moving said lampvertically and laterally in said tube, a telescopic tube carrying a lensmounted in the opposite end of said tube, a shutter normally interposedbetween said lamp and said lens, a plunger rod extending through thebore of the piece and having its rear end adapted to be struck by thefiring pin, and means controlled by the movement of said plunger rod forquickly moving said shutter inci dent to the normal action of operatingthe firing mechanism of the piece.

OLNEY PLACE,

